This invention relates to an aligner for slender elongate members.
In making measurements on an optical fiber it may be necessary to couple the fiber under test (the "test fiber") to an optical fiber test or measurement instrument, such as an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR). This may be done by temporarily coupling the test fiber in end-to-end relationship with a buffer fiber which remains semi-permanently connected to the test or measurement instrument. In order to couple slender elongate members, such as optical fibers, in end-to-end relationship it is necessary to bring the members into axial alignment. Various forms of fiber aligners have been proposed in the past for bringing optical fibers into axial alignment for optical coupling. Fiber aligners that are currently in use suffer from several disadvantages, such as poor alignment of the fibers and poor optical coupling due to foreign matter between the end faces of the fibers. Much of the foreign matter that normally impairs the coupling between a buffer fiber and a test fiber is introduced to the fiber alignment site by the test fiber, particularly in the form of coating debris from the preparation of the test fiber and dirt present on the test fiber. Since many test fibers are successively aligned with the buffer fiber, there is a possibility for dirt and debris to accumulate between the end faces of the test fiber and buffer fiber and adversely affect the quality of the optical coupling. Dirt and debris at the alignment site may also prevent alignment of the fibers and indirectly affect the quality of the optical coupling.